Drying-room for rugs, carpet, and the like.



F. A. HENDERSON.

DRYING Room FOR Rusa-CAMUS, AND THE LIKE.

I APPLICA-HON FILED AUG. 17| |916. L23,51 Patented Aug. 28, 1917 2 SHEETS*SHEET1 F. A. HENDERSON.

DRYING ROOM FOR RUGS-, CARPETS, AND THE LIKE.

PatentedAug. 28, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FREDERICK A. HENDERSON, OF .CRESTON, IOWA.

DRYING-ROOM FOR EUGS, CARPET, AND` THE LIKE.

messie.

`Sp e cication of Letters Patent.

ratentea aug. 2e, reir.

Application led August 17', 1916. y Serial No. 115,407.

To all whom t may concern: Be 1t known that I, FREDERICK A; HEN- DERSON, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Creston, in the county of Union and State of Iowa, haveV invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying- Rooms for Rugs, Carpet, and the like, of which the followii'ig'is a specification.

This invention relates in general to a drying-room for rugs, carpet and the like after they have been cleaned.

The main object of this invention is `to equip the drying-room with simple, economical, durable and efficient elevating and supporting devices; a conveying device, and a device for steaming the rugs and carpetas they are conveyed to the front or outlet of the room.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for suspending any suitable number of rugs or pieces of' carpet within the rooin in such a manner that any one of the suspended pieces may be raised or lowered at `any time without disturbing any of the other suspended pieces within the room, and as each piece is lowered it will be automatically conveyed toward the outlet portion of the room and will be sub-` jected to the steaming process during its eXitiinstead of taking it to another partof `the plant as is usually done.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are attained by the novel features of con-.V

struction, combination, arrangement `and location of the parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in `the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the form, proportion, and minor details may vbe resorted to without departing from thespirit or sac-4 rificing any of the advantages of theinvention. y r

In the accompanying drawings it will be seen that: i

Figure l, is a perspective view showing the improvements embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a longitudinal-sectional View showing the lowerportion of `niy improved drying-room and the improved devices ein ployed therein.

Fig. 3, is' a detail View showing the operating shaft partly in section; the lspools secured to said shaft in longitudinal section, 1and the belt pulley in sectional elevation.

Fig. 4, is a detail view showing a crosssection through the operating shaft and one of the spools, showing the means for securing the spool to the shaft.

Fig. 5, is a detail view showing in crosssection the means for clamping one end of the rug kor carpet to be suspended in its closed 'and locked position.

Fig. 6, is a detail View showing the clamping means in the unlocked and open posi* tion, and r F ig. 7, is a detail side View of the claiiip ing means in its closed and locked position.

Similar numerals of reference are einployed to designate corresponding parts throughout the sev-eral figures of the drawings. i

In carrying out my invention as illustrated, the numeral l .indicates the room iii tended to receive and support iii a suspended position any suitable or desirable number of rugs or pieces of carpet after they shall have been properly cleaned, said room being heated in any suitable or desirable manner.

Suitably supported by the side walls of the room and ruiming the full width of said ioom is a .removable metal shaft 2, pre-- vided at one end with a handle 3, for rotating the said shaft, and on this shaft is ai'- ranged any suitable or desirable number of iron spools 4, which can be attached at will, and secured thereto by a split key 5, which passes through an opening in the spool and shaft, and wound around each of said spools 4, is a rope 6 by which the rug and carpet clamping means hereinafter described are properly elevated and lowered.

Arranged above the shaft 2 and slightly to the rear thereof is a bar or rod 7, running the full width of the room, and secured to the lower portion of said bar or rod is a series of eyes 8, each eye supporting a hook 9, and each hook being adapted to engage with an eye 10 carried by each of the spools 4, whereby each spool is prevented from unwinding and thereby lowering the suspended piece when the spool is disconnected from the shaft by the removal of the split key It will be understood that two spools are arranged on the shaft for each rug or piece of carpet the room is intended to have suspended therein, and while I have shown butthree rugs suspended, it will be obvious that the room may be constructed as large as desired, and the spools may be made of i any suitable zsize, so that anysuitable or desirable number of rugs or pieces of carpet may be suspended Within the room.

Running from each of'tli'e spools Ll is a rope 6, which passes through eyes or small pulleys 11 secured at suitable points to the ceiling ofy the room, the upper end of each rope being securedto an eye 12 fastened to the clamping means Whichis adapted to clamp the upper end of each rug or piece ofc-arnet. Y c' `i 7 Each of the elamping means consists of two Wooden boards 14. andl extending substantially the entire width ofthe room and provided with a hin-ge 16 near eachl end thereof, whereby they are hinged together, and along the inner lower edge portion,

each' board is provided lwith a series of teeth,

17, the outer board 15 carrying a plurality of metal bolts or pins 18, each of said bolts or pins having secured at one end thereof a button 19, which passes through anoblong opening 20in the inner board 151, so that .when said boards la and1 15 assume a position near the floor. of the room and are opened or separated on their hinges, the

edge of the rug or carpet is laid on the teeth of the lower-most board, the top board is then shutdown on the rug7 andthe plu,- ralityI o f Abuttons are thus causedito protrude through the oblong. holes or openings 2O registering therewith, and. when the clamping means has been completely closed the buttons are just.r ush with the outer surface ofthe outer board 15, then in .order to securely fasten and clampcthe rug between'the said boards it is simply necessary, to turn each of said buttons crosswise of the oblong openings 20, when the elevating. means vmay be operated andthe rug properly suspended` within the room. f

Near the lower portion or floor of the room is arranged, a conveyer which consists ofian endless belt 21fof canvas or other suitable material `-extending substantially the width ofthe room, said endless belt being supported by and'iopei'ated on by two Wooden rollersv 22 `andi23, each being supportediby the side Walls ofthe room and located at the bottom portion of the room.

The shaft 2 is provided near one end thereof with a pulley 211, around4 which is secured an endless driving belt` 25 of-anyv suitable material, said belt-25- passing'beneath and partially around each ofthe rollers A22 and 23, hence the rotation ofthe shaft 2, through the medium of the belt 25 operates the end-i` less eonveyer belt 21.

At the front end portion of the room and ruiming the full width thereof isa Wooden steam box 26 yabout three inches deepl and about five inches ivide providedwvith a perforated'fmetal top 2T, having agsteam inlet -pipe 2S, andv a drain pipe 2.9. connected thereto. y I

It \vill lbe readily perceived that the iron spools canbe so arranged on the shaft 2 and the ropes connected to the clamping means in such a manner than any one of ther-ugs` in the rooml canbe raised or lowered at any time by turning the shaft without disturbing any of the other rugs Within the room.'

Uien it is (le.Sl'.lCliv to elevate or suspend a rug, the rug clamping means is caused to assume a positionnearthe floor, one end of the rug is securely fastened to theV said clamping. means, when by. turning, theI shaft 2 the conveyer belt 21 is operated andi as,- sists in conveying theirug to a positionsubstantially in a vertical line with the suspended position the rug is` intended toocf cupy in therooxn, and ati the same timeithe winding spools and ropes are elevating the rug to itssuspended position, and when it is desired to lower a rugfrom therear position of the room, as soon as theshaft 2 is turned to lower, the rug, the drivingbelt25', automaticallyoperates the conveyer belt 21, so that when the lower edge of the, rug contacts with theconveyer itis immediately carriedtowardthe front ofi-.the room, which. eliminates the necessity of an'extra man to, catch the bottom of the rugand` carry it out, and as the rugis conveyed across the steam box, steam is turned on,v and the steaming process thus attended to as the rug is being. lowered, insteadV oftaking it. to someiotheri. part ofthe plant. After the Vrug4 has been cleaned and dried;theilivesteanrserves to soften the pile or nap, and by constant`- sweeping all thewhile the rugvis passing across the steam boxonits Wayout ofthe.`- roomand While the live steam is comingup througlr from. the underside, the surface. or nap is put ina nice softluify condition. Having `thus `described my invention what I, claim anddesire to secureby Letters Patentisz- L In a drying room for rugsand the like, means for elevatingv andllowering the rugs supported by the Wallsv of the room, confV veyer means connected toand operated/by thevelevating. and lowering means and al steam-box. located@ at4 one end of said: con-` veyer means.

2. In a drying room for rugs and' the like, means forV elevating` andrloWeI-ing therugs consisting of a shaft removably supported. by. the.v Walls of the room, rug. clamping means, a plurality of Winding spoolsmenovably. supported on ,said-shaft', meansvvithin the room and confrectedto each of-said` spools to prevent unvvin'ding of the spools, conveyer means connected to and ,i operated; bythe elevating `and vlowering means,l and ia plurality of ropes leading from,saidfspools over supports' fastened to theceiling `and secured to the said rug ,clamping :means: i

3.'1na drying room for rugs and the like, means. forelevating. and loweringtherugs consisting of a shaft removably supported by the walls of the room, rug clamping means, a plurality of winding spools removably supported on said shaft, means connected with each spool to prevent unwinding of the same, a plurality of ropes leading from said spools over supports fixed to the ceiling and secured to said clamping means, and a conveyer located near the floor of the room connected to and operated by said elevating and lowering means.

4. In a drying room for rugs and the like, means for elevating and lowering the rugs comprising a shaft removably secured to the walls of the room, a plurality of Winding spools removably secured on said shaft, means connected with each spool to prevent unwinding of the same, a plurality of ropes leading from said spools over supports fixed to the ceiling, the upper end of each rope b eing fastened to a rug clamping means, said rug clamping means consisting of two boards hinged together having a series of teeth at the inner lower edge thereof, and carrying a plurality of clamping means for locking the boards in closed position, and conveyer means connected to and operated by the said elevating and lowering means.

5. In a drying-room for rugs and the like, removable means supported by the walls of the room for elevating and lowering the rugs, a conveyer located near the floor of the room connected to and operated by the elevating means, a steam box at the bottom of the room near one end of said conveyer, and rug clamping means consisting of two boards hinged together having a series of teeth at the inner lower edge thereof, and carrying a plurality of bolts and buttons for locking the boards in closed position to the rug.

6. In a drying-room for rugs and the like, means for elevating and lowering the rugs comprising a removable shaft secured to the walls of the room, a plurality of winding spools removably supported in said shaft, rug clamping means, a plurality of ropes leading from the winding spools over fixed supports in the ceiling and fastened to said clamping means, and means located above and at the rear of said shaft for connecting with each of said spools to prevent the unwinding of the same.

7 In a drying-room for rugs and the like, means for elevating and lowering the rugs consisting of a removable shaft secured to the walls of the room, a plurality of winding spools removably secured on said shaft, rug clamping means, a plurality of ropes leading from the winding spools over fixed supports in the ceiling and fastened to said clamping means, and an endless conveyer belt located near the bottom of the room connected with and operated by a driving belt connected to said shaft.

FRED A. HENDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissionerof Patents, Washington, D. C. 

